Nine Sweeps
by internationalmindset
Summary: Eridan spends his ninth, his final sweep with his beloved, and faces the reality of loss of others.


Eridan Ampora was dead.

He was a young troll, of nine sweeps, a difficult age, recently robbed of innocence, yet ripe with potential. The Empire had given him but a split second of an extra glance, the universe had, and it was known he was destined to be something, someone great. He was made to, but never completely would, follow in the footsteps of another.

The Jadebloods had observed him for the longest time, they being the only ones gentle and witty enough to study the young seadwellers, yet keep them at bay. Cool eyes would scan the waters, wondering who would be culled and who would be whisked off of Alternia, to one of the scores of ships floating throughout the galaxy. These children's fates were only in God's hands, was there a God for these miserable beings to believe in.

Now, even as a youth, the hemocaste system was harshly imposed, even by lusii. It was rare for children to cultivate equalist thoughts after seven sweeps, and it was often what led to their harsh deaths, however brief. Eridan Ampora was a fine example, from the day he wiggled out of the brooding caverns, of what a proper violetblood should be. He held little respect for those beneath him, tended to the every need of his heiress, and only showed a smidge of affection to one caste beneath him, that being a rather noble caste itself.

Unfortunately those quiet days of scheming about lowbloods and adoring the empress to be would fall short. Too short.

-

Your name is ERIDAN AMPORA and you are waiting for everyone to close their traps and shut it with these god damned goodbyes.

You turn away as your fellow royalty embraces that disgusting pissblood and coos about how much she'll miss him. Makes a man sick to his stomach. You only wish to retreat to the water, where none of these idiots can follow you. You move away, seat yourself off from the others. The lot of you are standing on a beach. You wiggle your bare toes into the sand.

Two more trolls pass by, locked in each other's arms. Of course she has hotter irons in the fire than you, hotter irons with ridiculously large horns and cool robot legs made by more pesky landwellers, who also happen to have a thing for attempts of sabotaging the empire. Of course, Nitram would never have the guts to attempt a coup.

She passes you a glance but your heart doesn't skip a beat like it did when you were five sweeps old. You know there's nothing malicious in her advance, but perhaps you in your lonely desperation aroused feelings from her, the faintest hint of ash. It doesn't faze you of course. You allow yourself to be preoccupied by other thoughts. This romance is merely a tar stain on your overly pompous cape.

"HEY," you hear a familiar voice, slightly deeper than you normally recognize. It would make sense though, seeing as the last time the two of you met, he was six, and you were six and two perigees. "Kar," you rise to your feet and he looks at you sympathetically. Perhaps the two of you waxed red, as the pity shared for one another was evident, but you had something paler in mind, were you two to ever share a quadrant. Even then the feelings weren't strong. But you wouldn't want to call him the troll word for friend, as you were too fond of him to label him an enemy. He scratches the back of his head as the two of you exchange an awkward glance. "Yeah," the two of you simultaneously say, and then there's a hint of a grin on his lips. Nothing more is needed to be said between the two of you. You understand one another on at least that level.

Not to say there won't be gossipy exchanges between the two of you over trollian later tonight.

Another figure approaches, tall, strong, wide hips. The familiar silhouette is of none other than Kanaya Maryam, the only friend you seem to have (you both often make rather dark jabs at one another). She offers a grin and the palest of paps to your face. You realize you must have grown since you last saw her, because finally, you are taller than her, nearly towering in fact. Her eyes are gentle, her lips a toned down shade of her blood, her dressing overly fancy, in opposition to that of most land dwellers. Perhaps that was why you enjoy her presence. Only a small outcast group of trolls enjoy indulging in the pleasure that is fashion. "In a sweep it is likely the two of us shall meet," her words are long and drawn out, her manner and tone of speech strange from lack of troll to troll interaction. "I shall see you then," the two of you nod, and in an instant, you find her with her arms wrapped around you. You don't understand the fuzz that is clouding your thoughts, just that she's causing a bit of a scene and other trolls, Fef, are watching, staring. She lets you go and you stand there in shock, and with a sharp tongue she warns you to stay out of trouble before becoming part of one of the crowds.

Finally, the many trolls passing by are leaving the soil beneath their feet. It will be an entire sweep before Feferi faces the empress, before you go and study to be, what you hope to be, an Orphaner.

You don't know this sweep will be your last with her.

-

cuttlefishCuller [CC]began trollingcaligulasaquarium [CA]****

CC: Glub glub!**  
**CC: )(ey -Eridan!**  
**CC: I see SOM-EON-E is per)(aps in t)(e red t)(roes for a certain girl wit)( poor taste in literature )(mmm?**  
**CA: oh god fef no**  
**CA: that wwas completely uncalled for and an advvance on her part**  
**CA: i didnt see it comin**  
**CC: 38/**  
**CC: Fine.**  
**CC: I just got R-E-ELY excited to sea t)(at!**  
**CA: see wwhat**  
**CC: You and Kanaya I mean.**  
**CA: ...**  
**CC: I mean you two would just be so cute!**  
**CA: wwhat the fuck actually**  
**CC: But you know if t)(e eeling isn't t)(ere t)(en you don't )(ave to like )(er.**  
**CA: damn straight**  
**CC: But I say give )(er a c)(ance! -Everybody deserves c)(ance! And w)(o knows maybe you'll like )(er too! You'll never know if you don't give it a try!**  
**CA: …**  
**CA: fef i dont have time for this okay**  
**CA: i gotta go****

cuttlefishCuller [CC]ceased trollingcaligulasaquarium [CA]

Wow she really is one to say who should be giving who a chance. If anything that was maybe the palest hug ever, even if your face was likely flushed violet and you looked like a total moron. You slip off your outerwear and hop into some slime, ready to welcome a long awaited sleep. You lay there in the green slosh, replaying the events of the day. Vriska leaving, Karkat leaving, Kanaya hugging, leaving. Now that you think about it, that likely meant nothing. Maryam was always rather promiscuous in the conciliatory quadrants. But Fef. Feferi's wonderful, round face. And...

...was that a hint of jealousy?

You don't care that she doesn't pity you right now. You let out a little schoolgirl (whatever that is) squeal and sink back, shutting your eyes. You don't care how white your romance with her is. You want to make every moment of it last to see her smiling.

-  
You spent that night in her cocoon, wondering what things will be like. It's been half a sweep since you've seen the others. The mighty sea princess is in your arms, her gentle breathing synchronized with your own. The sopor is dense enough to keep you both down. This is the first time in what seems to be forever since you've slept underwater. You don't want this moment to end. You lace your fingers between her dark curls. Every day the baby fat is melting off of her face, and she's growing to becoming horrifyingly gorgeous. You pec her forehead and allow yourself some rest as well.

-  
Three days later you are back in your own hive.

You open pesterchum that morning.

It seems someone sent you something while you were asleep.

arachnidsGrip [AG]began trollingcaligulasaquarium [CA]****

AG: I don't really want to 8e the one to tell you this...**  
**AG: I'm really sorry a8out what you're about to read and I'm pretty sure you ar8n't aw8ke right now...**  
**AG: Tavros was arrested...we got him out that's not the thing.**  
**AG: Yeah Pyrope tossed me this info but I'm assuming you and and Fussyfangs were pretty close..**  
**AG: God I can't do this.**  
**AG: hEY, UM,**  
**AG: oKAY,**  
**AG: eRIDAN WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO READ YOU WON'T ENJOY,**  
**AG: wELL THE SORT OF THING IS THAT YESTERDAY KANAYA WAS ARRESTED,**  
**AG: fOR BEARING THE SIGN OF HE WHO SUFFERED,**  
**AG: hER CONFESSION WAS EIGHT MINUTES LONG,**  
**AG: i DON'T THINK SHE FELT ANY PAIN,**  
**AG: aLL I CAN SAY NOW IS THAT I'M SORRY,**  
**AG: aND THE THING I NEED TO DO IS I GUESS TAKE CARE OF VRISKA,**  
**AG: sO I WILL, aND i GUESS BE TALKING TO YOU LATER,****

arachnidsGrip [AG]ceased trollingcaligulasaquarium [CA]

You stare at the screen in disbelief.

Of all of you, with Kanaya it seemed she would be immortal. You knew even Feferi would die eventually, long after youself.  
But it's hard to believe she's gone.

The pain you feel tearing at your chest is similar to the pain you felt when you lost your old man.

You don't understand, but for the rest of your life it claws at your insides.  
The rest of you short, miserable life.

-

"Let's do it," she mutters lazily.

"What?" you respond, just as groggy.

"Pail stupid," she nuzzles against you in the least flushed manner.

You actually are not too surprised. As moirails, semi annual pailing is pretty normal, especially considering how often you two flirt in red territory.

"But actually use the pail this time," she says, a bit more forcefully.

Now that's odd. Moirails generally pail...without pails. It's to establish a bond. But to store the genetic material?

"Just do it stupid," before you know it she's on top of you and everything is a white hot mess, but it's warm and comforting, and as much as you want her to pity you, you are fine with what you have. You pity her so strongly, for all her innocence and childishness. You pity her. But she understands you.

And that scares the hell out of you.

-

You cup her head and your salty tears hit her so, freckled face. You lean down to peck her forehead, and she looks up at you, wiser than any Kanaya or seahorse dad, or Mirthful Messiah. You realize the whimsical, wonderful, and babyish Feferi Peixes was just a cover for this broken angelfish, who knew her fate. Three holes through the gut, diagonal to one another, ooze fuschia, intestines falling out of place. She is bruised, badly, and her energy sapped, the strong creature of the sea reduced to nothing. You hold her up, tightly gripping her hair, crying into her chest, and she just paps you gently. Why did you never understand her? Oh how you pitied her, that this day would come, but you never for a moment paused to think what she was going through. And as you realize she is your perfect moirail, you are truly alone, for the life fades from her, eyes growing glassy. She slumps into your lap and for what seems like eternity, you cry, like you never had before. The Empress gazes down at the two of you. She drags you by collar away from Feferi, your precious Feferi. You sob, not fighting her, just thinking of the corpse in your arms. Finally she manages to tear you off the dead girl.

-

You have composed yourself once more. Your name is Eridan Ampora, you are nine sweeps old, and boy, do you despise the Empress.

You detest her with a hatred that is past caliginous, not romantic in the least. She didn't just do away with another failed empress, no, she took away the love of your life, both red and pale. Everything was, everything is gone for you. She boasts of the recent death of a mutant, how some "infidel tealblood" murdered the Thirteenth Grand Highblood Gamzee Makara. She chuckles about the many taken down by battles with some new alien race. You can't take it anymore.

She offers you to be head of the Orphaners, once she finally cuts to the chase. Says you were born to do it. You accept (as if you had a choice). You don't care though. You know you are dead.

Your name is Eridan Ampora, and with Feferi Peixes, you died.

-

You are now the sole Oprhaner of Alternia.

You have not fed her in weeks.

She shrieks.

The same white hot sensation you felt around Feferi floods you being.

You grin as you cease breathing


End file.
